The personality of a novel character is the primary cause of a potential reader to like or dislike them. In William Faulkner’s novel As I Lay Dying, the character of Jewel takes on the role of a disliked character. Upon his mother’s deathbed, Jewel has made the choice to perform hard manual labor for a payout of three dollars rather than visiting his mother for a final time. This being in the introductory phase of the novel, immediately causes the reader to recoil and cast Jewel as a selfish person…
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William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying is a unique novel centered around the Bundren family going on a perilous journey in order to bury their mother Addie. The family faces many ordeals to fulfill their mother’s dying wish. Some of which include a broken leg, trading valuables away, and being taken advantage of. Anse, the father of the family, paints himself as a victim even though he is a root cause of their misfortunes. In the chosen passage, Anse shyly announces the family’s valuables that must be…
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In As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner, the theme of family is not presented in a positive way. Addie, who is married to Anse and is the mother of Darl, Jewel, Cash, Dewey Dell and Vardaman, dies in the beginning of the novel, immediately igniting tensions and lack of communication within the family, particularly through the siblings as Addie’s favorite child was Jewel as she lacked love for her husband. Anse too reveals a similar feeling toward his wife. "Hit ain’t begrudgin’ the money," he says…
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In the novel As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner, many characters choose acts of betrayal against each other. Throughout the book, the Bundrens are on a trip to Jefferson to bury their deceased mother, Addie. While on this journey, the family goes through hardships and discovers more about their true selves. Although all of the characters have gone through some acts of betrayal towards each other, the character that is most highlighted in this is Anse. Anse betrays others by his selfishness, hypocritical…
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In As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner, he argues that women should break the cycle of oppression through the juxtaposition of human vs. animal. Women have obligately fulfilled their duties as a wife and mother for various centuries, but it is time to unravel the cycle. Though they are human beings, they are treated more like animals in distant ways. To begin, in the following quote Faulkner emphasizes the woman's role through the thought’s of Cora “A woman’s place is with her husband and children…
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William Faulkner’s character Jewel Bundren, in the novel As I Lay Dying is essentially a foreigner to the whole Bundren family. Jewel Bundren is not biologically related to his so-called “brothers and sister” which explains why Jewel is exceptionally unlike his family members. Jewel’s fierce aggressive and forceful personality is what disconnects him from the Bundrens. Through Jewels actions and other characters, Faulkner uncovers the mystery of who Jewel is wholeheartedly and what about him gives…
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With a mother close to death, a self-absorbed father, and children uninvolved with each other, William Faulkner portrays the Bundren family from the beginning of his novel, As I Lay Dying, as disjointed and dysfunctional. The family’s journey to Jefferson to bury Addie further exposes their singular, competing agendas, leading the reader to believe that the purpose of the trip is not just to lay Addie to rest. Two of the more ostensibly single-minded characters, Dewey-Dell and Anse, appear to have…
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English III, period 45 9 February 2024 Parallels to William Faulkner’s life in As I Lay Dying A poor family attempts to fulfill a mother’s dying wish to be buried on the other side of the state. A man’s mental health devolves to a life as he struggles to cope with the death of his mother. At the same time, a young woman of only seventeen years old seeks an abortion for an unwanted pregnancy in a society where she is expected to raise her child. William Faulkner manages to illustrate the experiences of…
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In William Faulkner's novel "As I Lay Dying," one illuminating episode that serves as a casement into the broader meaning of the work is the Bundren family's journey to Jefferson, particularly through the perspective of Darl Bundren. This episode not only showcases the intense struggles and dysfunctional dynamics within the family, but also reveals deeper truths about human nature, mortality, and the elusive quest for redemption. Firstly, the journey itself serves as a casement because it metaphorically…
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Tying the Knot! These seemingly unrelated desires drive the Bundren family's bizarre odyssey. William Faulkner defies all expectations and delves into the intricate web of grief and family dynamics through his distinctive style of writing. In Faulkner's novel, As I Lay Dying, the use of these themes is shown as the Bundren family grapples with the aftermath of mother and wife, Addie Bundren's passing. Faulkner's unconventional storytelling is evident as the family travels through rural Mississippi to…
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